When it comes to the long jump, no practice is no problem for Randall’s Libby Strickland.

The senior was first asked to start working on the event a week before the District 3-4A meet April 11.

Strickland said she didn’t know what to expect going into the meet. Much to her and Randall girls track coach Tracy Pennington’s delight, Strickland finished second with a jump of 17 feet and qualified for the Region I-4A meet Friday and Saturday at Elmer Gray Stadium in Abilene.

“We just wanted her to get some points,” Pennington said. “She got a whole lot more than points.”

Now, after about 30 total jumps — that number includes practice — Strickland is poised to possibly set the school record in her new event.

She came within six inches of setting a Randall record by leaping 17-5½ on April 19 at the Fifth Annual Russell Graham Memorial Regional Qualifiers Meet in Panhandle. It was her second time to compete in the event.

The record is held by Brandi Carpenter, who went 17-6 in 1996.

“Now I have something to shoot for, specifically,” Strickland said. “Everything has to be right — your speed, your mark and then your height. Everything has to be on for you to get that extra push.”

Strickland said she usually only gets a handful of jumps in practice because she has to work on four other events — high jump, 200, 800 relay and 1600 relay. She’s the only Randall girl to qualify for regionals in the UIL’s maximum five events.

High jump takes up most of her time, Strickland said. She still identifies herself as a high jumper and qualified for state her sophomore year in 2010.

Strickland said some techniques transfer from the high jump to the long jump, which has helped her adapt to the sand pit.

“It helps so much to have height in the long jump because it carries you farther,” Strickland said. “In the high jump, it’s all about height. I think that carried over to the long jump.”

Strickland jumps over a tire at the front of the Randall long jump pit when she practices to make sure she’s using her high jumping experience to its fullest.

“She’s just a phenomenal athlete,” Pennington said. “She’s just so athletic.”

Strickland also knows something about competing at a high level.

She was the District 3-4A MVP on Randall’s state semifinalist volleyball team and said she gets an adrenaline rush and extra motivation when she’s in competition — no matter the event.

“She’s what you call a gamer,” Pennington said. “When it comes to a meet, that’s when she does her magic.”

Region I-4A meet

■ When: Friday and Saturday.

■ Where: Elmer Gray Stadium, Abilene.

■ At stake: The top two finishers in each event advance to the state meet May 11 at Mike A. Myers Stadium in Austin.